Time for Another Hawk Update

The hawk is still in the Main Reading Room. The rescue team found a trap that she was attracted to (which is good news for humane capture); however, the hawk had swooped in and took just enough of the bait late Sunday afternoon and was able to avoid capture. This means that she is now fed and will most likely not be ready to eat again until Tuesday. The trap has been adjusted and is ready to be baited again on Tuesday. The team now believes that the hawk has a predilection for frozen quail and not live bait.

As a secondary measure, they also pulled a mesh tightly across the opening to the dome (which they call the “lantern”) so that she cannot descend into the Main Reading Room, and this would also catch her in the event that she were to fall.

The team has also included members from the Washington Humane Society, and they are in agreement with the process and procedures being used for the capture. They do not perceive the hawk is in any imminent danger from stress.

This has been such a good story. Is she still Shirley or can I put in a vote for “Alice Cooper”? When she is caught, I assume she will be checked by a veteranarian. Will they be able to tag her to follow her travels?

We do not know for certain whether the Cooper’s Hawk was “fat” or “thin/sharp in the keel” when it entered the Library of Congress, and we do not know whether it had eaten well before it came into the building.

However, we do know that the bird had probably not eaten since it came into the building last Wed, Jan. 19 (until today, Monday, Jan. 24).

Since the bird was first seen in the building last Wed, it has now been 5 days, as of Monday morning, that we can assume it had not likely eaten anything (unless there were some other live birds or dead birds inside the dome area that had also recently entered the Library through an open window).

Cooper’s hawks are medium sized hawks that burn energy quickly. So, there was a looming danger that the bird could possibly die after about a week or so in the building (with no food), especially if it continued to fly frantically around the inside the dome of the building (burning up energy).

The bird was most likely to be caught in a trap while in a hungry state, rather than with a full “crop” of food. It is not likely to come near the traps that have been set when not in a hungry state.

Since Washington, D.C. may have a good population of Pigeons and perhaps starlings too, it is likely that the bird could have found some easy prey before entering the Library, even with the recent snow storms.

I heard a report today that the bird had found a way to rob some of the quail bait from one of the traps placed in the dome area without actually being caught in the trap. If this is true, at least we know it wont die of starvation at this point.

We do not want to second guess what the people from Virginia Raptor Conservancy (and their team) are doing to quickly capture the bird in the safest manner possible, because we are not on-site and cannot fully know or comprehend the full scope of the situation and what is being done. They are certainly doing the best they can.

Typically, rehab groups are not much involved in trapping birds or banding them, but I would guess that there are some qualified falconers also advising the Raptor Conservancy team – who do have significant experience trapping birds. There’s no doubt that the Raptor Conservancy has substantial experience rehabilitating injured birds of prey and caring for them (for eventual release into the wild).

The American Eagle Foundation has reached out and offered its assistance to the both the Library of Congress and the North Virginia Raptor Conservancy. We have a seasoned master falconer on staff who has much experience trapping Cooper’s Hawks.

We are hopeful there will be a happy ending to this hawk drama.

But let’s hope that we don’t end up with a scenerio where the “hawk” goes after a “dove”, for this may stir up a huge debate in the halls of Congress.

I am glad that what has been done so far has
been done. So that the female Cooper’s Hawk
won’t be stressed. Interesting that she’s not
interested in live food but has the taste for the
frozen Quail instead. Let’s hope that she’ll be
returned to the wild soon.

Cooper’s hawks are sometimes used in falconry. Because this raptor does not seem panicked in the presence of humans, knows how to avoid traps, and prefers frozen prey, the bird may have been trained for falconry (how it got into the LOC reading room is another story). A falconer might be able to lure it down with a whistle, swinging lure, and gloved hand.

To think that the hawk would “fall” is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. That’s like saying a fish might drown.

Not sure of the dome architecture, but how about opening a window and letting her free rather than trying to capture her? If feasible, put her favorite food near the open window, she’ll be sure to find it and fly free.

I am curious as to why the team is not using a bal chatri trap with a mouse, or pigeon, bait. The monofilament loops outside the traps will tangle the feet of the bird if it attempts to take the prey. Someone with experience can then carefully untangle the bird and release it. From your narrative, the bird has succesfully come in after bait and removed it, which would be impossible with a bal chatri. Just curious as to the approach being used.

There is a simple and easy way to get the hawk to fly out (if its not too weak already). If the room it is in can be made dark, ie no sunlight from windows and all lights out, the hawk will fly to sunlight through an open door. If the room cannot be darkened then you’ll have to wait until after sunset. After dark open the front door and place a light just outside the entrance. The hawk will fly to the light and freedom. I’ve used this numerous times to get birds out of my house (they fly or fall down the chimney and find their way in through the woodstove or furnace pipes. It works, trust me. Good luck,

As an information service named for a hawk and serving the library profession, we can only envy a sister hawk that has the (temporary) freedom to keep warm and fed while roaming one of the world’s great libraries. Look after her well!

7 years ago I volunteered for a raptor rehab and refuge in NY state. Our Cooper Hawk ended up nabbing and eating one of the Sawwhet owls in the cage next door. Other than that, he was a very good tenant.

I hope that her, um, output isn’t falling on the books, and that she’ll be caught and returned to the outdoors in due time.

Call someone at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – they’ve got the best bird experts in the country and they’re a few blocks away. Or, call some folks from the National Audubon Society – they’re also a couple blocks away.

I’m so glad she was caught. I was recently involved in having to capture a Peregrine Falcon. Making and baiting the trap, and then waiting, can be intense. I’m so glad that this one went to the trap so quickly.

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